Three researchers at Turku Bioscience got funding from Academy of Finland September 2021 call.

Alex Dickens received Academic Research Fellowship position  and Lili Li and Lea Mikkola Postdoctoral researcher positions. Congratulations!

Here are short introdictions of their funded projects.

Alex Dickens (Academic Research Fellow)  – The Endocannabinoid System in Brain Health and Disease, 447 650€

The project will investigate the role of the endocannabinoid system in brain health and disease. Our preliminary data suggests that the endocannabinoid system plays a key role in brain to periphery communication following brain injuries. This project will develop a new toolbox for the study of this system using the cutting edge analytical tools available at the University of Turku and then apply them in both human samples and animal models.

Lili Li (Postdoctoral Researcher) – The synaptic life cycle regulated by disease mechanisms, 272 201€

This project aims to investigate the mechanisms of synaptic dysfunction relevant to brain disorders, with a focus on neuronal nitric oxide synthase 1 adaptor protein (NOS1AP). Our previous work showed NOS1AP to be a druggable target with efficacy in neurological conditions, leading to ongoing drug discovery efforts. This project will develop innovative methods to determine in detail the physiological and pathological roles of NOS1AP at the synapse. The project will be carried out at the Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Academy University.

Lea Mikkola (Postdoctoral Researcher) – Single-cell and spatial studies on the etiology of hip joint osteoarthritis, 285 114€

Lea Mikkola’s OASEQ-project aims to clarify the cell and tissue specific disease mechanisms of hip joint osteoarthritis, especially focusing on the inflammatory responses. “We can produce new knowledge to improve the general understanding of the development of osteoarthritis and characterization of patient groups based on divergent disease mechanisms. That way our study could aid the development of better targeted diagnostic and treatment options for this disease.”